


I Just Need You

by Calzonafan2014



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, F/F, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26659459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calzonafan2014/pseuds/Calzonafan2014
Summary: Charity wants a word with Vanessa for sending Tracy over to cook for her. Banter ensues.
Relationships: Charity Dingle/Vanessa Woodfield
Comments: 10
Kudos: 71





	I Just Need You

Charity sat up in bed, computer on her lap, impatiently waiting for Vanessa to answer her Facetime request. She grabbed her wine glass from the nightstand and took the final sip, then reached for the bottle to top it off, frowning at the little that poured out of the _second_ bottle she’d had over the course of the very long day dealing with her soon to be sister-in-law.

Vanessa finally rang in and Charity answered immediately. Smiling in spite of herself at the sight of her fiancee, even as she couldn’t help but take in the clear impact that chemo was having on her gorgeous face.

“Charity, what’s the emergency?”

“Babe, Trace, seriously? What were you even thinking?”

Vanessa settled back and smiled faintly. “You like her.”

“Says who?”

“You. When you’re not putting on your mad, bad, I’m Charity Dingle, and I hate everyone face."

“I don’t do that!”

Vanessa gave her a look.

“Fine. But that’s only because most people, including your sister, are really irritatin’.”

Vanessa chuckled, “Misanthrope,” she teased.

Charity mock frowned even as she felt her entire being lighten in response to Vanessa’s gentle teasing, “I like some people.”

“Name one.”

“Vanessa Woodfield, soon to be Dingle.”

Vanessa felt her own heart lift, but didn’t let her expression crack. “Who you aren’t marrying.”

“Chas.”

“Or related to,” Vanessa added pointedly.

“That’s taking away half the town right there.”

“Tracy couldn’t have been that bad.”

“Oi, not that bad? Hours and hours and hours of her discussing the fluttering in her belly. The precious tiny baby feet, the hormones, the tears…”

Vanessa wrinkled her nose, “Really?"

“You have no idea.” Charity leaned closer to the screen to whisper, “She _likes_ being pregnant.”

“Who likes being pregnant?” Vanessa asked in mild disgust.

"Exactly! Thank you. See, you’re reasonable. She’s all, babies, babies, babies.”

Vanessa shuddered, “I’m so glad our boys are passed that stage.”

“Right? At least now they can hold a bit of a conversation. Entertain _us_ on occasion. Put on their own shoes. Some of the time at least. But babies…”

“You don’t think she’s gonna expect us to babysit a lot do you?” Vanessa asked.

“It’s Tracy. Nate is fine, but he's a bloke. Betcha that after the first week, Tracy's at our door, begging to be let in. And you know how babies are? Crying, peeing and pooping machines.”

“Have you ever actually been around a newborn?” Vanessa asked. Because well…

“Oi, you, maybe not my own, but I’ve changed enough diapers thank you very much."

Vanessa chuckled lightly and they settled into a comfortable silence, both in their separate beds miles apart, but still in sync.

“This is what I miss. You. Us.” Charity dropped her voice, “Holding you right now.”

Vanessa swallowed and her eyes grew wet, “I miss you too."

“Do you?” Charity asked, suddenly vulnerable.

“Course I do.” Vanessa shared earnestly, then her eyes glinted, “Starting to get cold. Need someone to warm my feet on."

“How do you manage to have cold feet when you steal all the covers?”

“Warm heart I guess,” Vanessa mocked.

“Can’t argue with that one.”

“I love you Charity.” Vanessa said. Her heart ached. She missed Charity like crazy. And their kids. She was starting to hate it at her mum’s. She could feel the coldness in the house starting to fill her up. And then she’d talk to Charity and life would suddenly be breathed back into her.

“Enough to tell me how you’re really feeling?” Charity asked.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “I told you already I’m fine.”

“Exactly my point.”

“I’m not dead yet. Unless of course you kill me for sic’ing me sister on ya.”

“Reserving the right if you do it again.”

“So noted.”

Charity let the silence linger a beat before she nudged, “Ness…”

Vanessa sighed, “My hands hurt. And my feet. It’s mostly just tingling, like they’re almost numb but not quite.”

Peripheral neuropathy Charity thought, her eyes filling up. She’d read about it. She’d read everything about all of it. And the stuff she hated she tried desperately to push out of her mind. Which was getting harder and harder without Vanessa here.

“I should be with you,” Charity said.

“You should be taking care of the four other people who need us. Even if some of them pretend otherwise. Speaking of. What’s Noah doing?” Vanessa asked,desperate to change the subject and get that look off Charity’s face.

“Is there something he should be doing?”

“Charity.”

“What? He’s been less broody. I even caught him smiling the other day. Course he was winding me up.” Charity shared with a wry smile, “He gets it from you. Wasn’t nearly such a smart ass before.”

Vanessa smiled fondly at that. She’d tried to pull him into some of their banter early on. And she’d seen him light up when Charity had responded.

“Noah’s good though," Charity continued, "Better than Sarah.”

“What’s wrong with Sarah?”

“Not sure. But I’ll find out. She thinks she’s smart but…”

“She’s fifteen. I know I thought I was right brilliant at that age.”

“Good you eventually saw the light. Because that’d been embarrassing,” Charity winked and Vanessa snorted. Then yawned. And Charity frowned.

“Babe, you should have told me you were tired.”

“I’m fine Charity. I wanted to talk to you too.”

“You should go to sleep.” Charity insisted.

“You want me to hang up?” Vanessa asked.

“Not tonight.” Charity paused. “This is all I need babe. Just us. So no more calling your sister, alright?”

“You aren’t the only one who gets to take care of things right now, you know. This isn’t all on you.”

“Yeah, well, you taking care of yourself is taking care of me. Got it?”

Vanessa nodded. She was starting to really get that in a way she hadn’t initially. She propped her iPad on the pillow next to her and settled down under the covers. She was exhausted. And everything hurt. She desperately missed Charity’s warmth and her arms wrapped around her. They made her feel safe. And protected. And loved in a way she’d never imagined possible. She was doing her very best to get better. And if she was also trying to protect Charity from the worst of it, including the news her doctor had shared after she’d resumed treatments post lockdown? That was her choice. Protecting her family fueled her. Made her stronger. More determined to beat this. She’d never wanted to be anyone’s wife before, but all she could think about lately was getting better and marrying Charity. With just the two of them or their family or the entire village around them she didn’t much care. She just wanted the commitment and the rings and the happily ever after with everything in between.

Charity waited for Vanessa’s breathing to even out before she settled down under the covers, her laptop propped up on the nightstand, earbuds in so she could easily listen to the steady sound of Vanessa’s breathing that comforted her and quickly soothed her to sleep.


End file.
